Page 48 of Bridesmaid to Bride

She slips away toward the restroom, and my heart thumps against my ribs. Screw it. Bridesmaids can wait.

“Excuse me, ladies,” I say, putting down my glass. “Nature calls.” I leave, knowing exactly where to look. Sure enough, I head past the bathrooms and up the stairs, finding Eva on the top deck, the ocean breeze playing with her dark curls. She’s staring out at the vast water, her arms wrapped around herself like she’s holding in the world’s weight.

“Hey,” I say softly, coming to stand beside her.

“Hey.” She doesn’t look at me. “You didn’t have to come.”

“I know.” My mind flips through the Rolodex of Eva’s favorite topics, and when I land on one, my eyes move skyward. “You might know this, but it takes millions of years for a star’s light to reach our eyes. Gazing at the night sky is like looking really far back in time.”

“I didn’t know that, actually.” Her gaze drifts up. “So what we’re admiring is the ghosts of stars?”

“Exactly.”

“The universe’s time capsule,” we say in unison. Then we both call out, “Jinx,” and then, “Double jinx,” at the same time. When that happens, which it does often, Eva gets to punch my shoulder, not too hard, which she does.

I pretend it hurts more than it does, grabbing my shoulder and stepping back, and she busts up. I don’t know why, but this always makes her laugh.

Then her face turns serious as she looks back up at the sky. “Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?” She sighs. “Okay, I’ve got one. The sun is the closest star to Earth, but do you know how long it’d take for us to travel there by plane?”

“Long enough to need some serious in-flight entertainment.”

She smiles, a twinkle appearing in her eyes. “Definitely.”

We stare above, and everything quiets except the lap of ocean waves and the hum of the yacht’s motor. I know the answer, but that’s no fun. So I finally say, “Five years?”

“Close. Try nineteen years.”

I make my eyes go wide. “Nineteen? Seriously?”

She playfully smacks my shoulder. “You knew the answer.”

“Caught me.” I smile adoringly at her. I should know I can’t pull stuff like that with her.

I catch a glimpse of a dark spot in the ocean that looks like a portal to another world. “Makes you appreciate those same-day Amazon deliveries, huh?”

“Totally.” She bumps into my side playfully. “But imagine the frequent flier miles.”

We stand, catching our breath, and her eyes move over the water. I hesitate, giving her another moment before I say, “Wanna talk about it?”

She looks down. “About how my own father likes my sister more than me? How he goes out of his way to point out how much better she is than I am?” The hurt in her voice stings.

“I’m sorry, Eva,” I say because what the hell else is there to say? She’s right—her dad’s speech was rough.

“I feel like such an asshole for being jealous.”

“No way. You’re being human. And none of what your father said is true. You’re loyal to your family, and you sacrifice your wants for theirs. If that’s not brave, I don’t know what is.”

She nods hesitantly. “You think?”

“Of course.” I want to tear into Neil, tell him that every time he looks past her, it makes me want to shake him. But that’s not what I should share with her, so I finally settle on, “I’m sure he loves you as much. He’s probably just caught up in the wedding crap, so he’s focused on Paige. Because there’s no doubt that you’re a one-of-a-kind, kick-ass, incredible woman who has it all, hands-down.”

She looks at me, an expression of hope and maybe some sort of adoration. “West,” she whispers, a mist forming in her eyes.

The way she says my name makes me feel, for a fleeting moment, that maybe there’s a place for a guy like me in her complicated, beautiful world.

She steps in and cups her hand over my cheek, her eyes so damn bright and beautiful.

I whisper, “You create the most beautiful and amazing desserts I’ve ever tasted. You know how to make everyone feel welcome and at home, no matter who they are. You can play the old-school Nintendo with your toes. I mean, you can do it all, Manhattan.”

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